The Maya Kitchen Teams Up with FEATR to Celebrate Filipino Culinary

For more than six decades, the trusted Filipino kitchen staple MAYA has been synonymous with home cooking and baking. Its culinary arts center, The Maya Kitchen, continues to promote culinary education through short courses and lifestyle classes.

Furthermore, the two brands present a new chapter with The Maya Kitchen Culinary Elite—a special cooking demonstration series featuring chefs and restaurateurs who are given a platform to share their curated recipes.

Originally held from 2010 to 2016, the Culinary Elite program now returns with renewed purpose: to highlight heritage Filipino ingredients, strengthen connections with regional food producers, and also reintroduce Filipino pantry staples to a new generation through contemporary techniques and storytelling.

A Brand Built in the Filipino Kitchen

Introduced to the Philippine market in 1962, MAYA quickly became a household name with the launch of its pioneering hotcake mix. The product soon became a breakfast staple among Filipino families and remainsone ofthemostrecognizable productsin thebrand’s portfoliotoday.

For generations, MAYA Hotcakes have been part of Filipino breakfasts, merienda moments, and childhood snacks. The simplicity of preparing hotcakes from the mix introduced many Filipinos to cooking for the firsttime—helping buildconfidenceinthekitchen.

Over the years, MAYA expanded beyond hotcakes to include a wide range of baking and pantry essentials—from chocolate, oat, and whole wheat hotcake mixes, brownie mixes and premium cake mixes,to flour, cornstarch, and itssignatureOven-Toaster mixes.

A New Chapter for the Maya Culinary Elite

According to Ernesto Fajardo, President of Liberty Commodities Corporation, the initiative reinforces the brand’s deeper connection to Filipino culinary culture. “For decades, MAYA has been part of Filipino family traditions – from breakfast hotcakes to first baking experiences in the kitchen. Reviving The Maya Kitchen Culinary Elite allows us to strengthen that legacy by working closely with chefs and storytellers who share our passion for promoting Filipino culinary education and innovation. Through thisinitiative, we continue the work of both Maya and The Maya Kitchen in inspiring Filipinosto cook, learn, and rediscover our food heritage.”

A Legacy of Culinary Education

Additionally, for Maya Kitchen consultant Nina Daza Puyat, whohaslong championed Filipino cuisine and food education, the revival of the program reflects MAYA’s enduring rolein shaping Filipino culinary culture. “The Maya Kitchen has always been about sharing knowledge and teaching

Filipinos how to cook confidently at home. The Culinary Elite program allows us to promote and preserve our Filipinofood heritagewhileadaptingitforthenextgeneration ofhomecooks.”

A Creative Partnership with FEATR

Rooted in a shared commitment of celebrating Filipino cuisine and championing local ingredients, the collaboration between MAYA and FEATR brings together two platforms that advocate for sustainability, culinary education, and thepreservation of Filipino food traditions.

By highlighting regional ingredients and the communities behind them, the partnership encourages more mindful cooking while shining a spotlight on the richness of the country’s culinary heritage.

A key collaborator in the revival is Erwan Heussaff, founder of the food storytelling platform FEATR, whose work focuses on documenting Filipino culinary traditions and regional ingredients. According to Erwan, “Filipino food has always been more than sustenance: it’s a record of who we are, where we came from, and what we’ve been through. Moreover, FEATR exists to help make sure those stories aren’t forgotten, to deepen how we understand and appreciate our food and ingredients today, and to help shape what Filipino food could become tomorrow. We communicate everything we learn about our culture through our digital platforms and shows, but we always felt like something was missing. This year we hope to hold more events like this, where people can interactwith theingredientsandstoriesthatwe’vefeatr’d in ourdocumentaries.”

Collaboration Rooted inHeritage

For the Maya Culinary Elite, Heussaff presents “Not-So Modern Filipino Pantry”, a culinary concept thatreimagines heritage Filipino ingredientsthroughmodern, accessible cooking.

The project explores heritage Filipino ingredients many of which come from small communities and traditionalfood practices – and presentsthem through contemporary recipes designed for modern kitchens.

A Collaboration Rooted in Heritage: “Not-So Modern Filipino Pantry”

As part of the collaboration, Heussaff introduces “Not-So Modern Filipino Pantry”, showcasing a curated approach to Filipino heritage ingredients through creative, contemporary interpretations.

This initiatives highlights locally sourced ingredients- rooted in regional traditions, and transforms them into thoughtfully crafted recipes suited for today’s kitchens.

Asin Tultol – A rare cooked sea salt from Guimaras created by filtering seawater through burned driftwood before evaporating the brine overfire, producing amineral-rich finishing salt.

**Festive crunch meets the “Black Gold” of the North.** Pairing Lucban’s iconic **Kiping** with a velvety aioli made from **Gamet**—a rare, seasonal seaweed from Ilocos. It’s a crispy, salty, and sophisticated tribute to the country’s coastal and colorful heritage.

Gamet – A hand-harvested dried seaweed from Sta. Praxedes, Cagayan, known for its natural umami and mineral content.

Pudpod – A traditional smoked fish patty from Eastern Samar made from flaked fish mixed with aromatics, prized foritsrich,savory smokiness.

Sukang Paombong – A naturally fermented nipa palm vinegar from Bulacan recognized for its complex acidity and depth offlavor.

culinary elite — Pure. Tangy. Iconic. We’re stripping back the Philippines’ favorite dish to its pre-colonial roots. Featuring the sharp kick of Sukang Paombong, this Adobong Puti recipe is a masterclass in regional flavor from The Maya Kitchen x FEATR.

Pakaskas – A rare buri palm sugar from Isla Verde, Batangas, valued for its smoky sweetness and also grainy texture.

Moreover, through these recipes, the series reframes Filipino heritage ingredients as versatile pantry staples— bridging traditional flavors with modern culinary creativity.

Celebrating the Culinary Elite

Throughout the years, the Maya Kitchen Culinary Elite has featured some of the country’s most respected culinary figures and restaurateurs, including chefs and food advocates such as Glenda Barretto, Claude Tayag, JP Anglo, Jessie Sincioco, Tatung Sarthou, CheleGonzales and the late Margarita Forés.

With the revival of the Maya Culinary Elite, Maya once again places Filipino chefs, ingredients, and also storytelling at the forefront of its mission—ensuring that the traditions that shaped Filipino cooking continue to inspire the kitchens oftoday and tomorrow.

The Maya Kitchen, the culinary center of MAYA, a brand dedicated to promoting food education, recipe development, and also the celebration of Filipino cuisine. Moreover, for over 60 years, Maya has been a trusted name in Filipino kitchens, inspiring generations of home cooks through its baking mixes, flours, and pantry staples.

For recipes and a list of upcoming cooking classes:

Website: https://themayakitchen.com

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The Maya Kitchen Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themayakitchencac

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